Book Description

With more than 250,000 copies sold, the classic text on direct marketing is now even better!

This thoroughly revised edition of Successful Direct Marketing Methods --the "bible" of direct marketing-- includes expanded material on the Internet and other digital media and brand new information on E-business (including E-communications, banners, buttons, E-mail, permission marketing). Also includes E-commerce (online merchandising and usability and navigation of websites) and E-services (online customer service, live operators, online chats, linking with call centers); up-to-the minute coverage of database marketing including data mining and online databases; expanded coverage of consumer privacy issues; new information on customer relationship marketing and teleservices-- and more!

• Completely rewritten and modernized from the last edition to include cutting-edge information on the latest E-tools available to direct marketers
• Now includes real-life business case studies from well known companies like Ford Motor Company, Dell Computer, NutraSweet, and more!

Reviews (1)

Don't reinvent the wheel
This edition is one of the best texts on direct marketing. A classic text that everyone involved in direct marketing should read, this edition includes a lot more material on digital forms of direct marketing than the previous versions. These digital forms include marketing via the Internet; from banners and buttons to e-mail, online merchandising and website navigation and many other concerns. The text covers every form of direct marketing in detail as well as many case studies to show how they were used or are being used successfully. ... Read more

Book Description

Since the first edition of this landmark book was published in 1962, Everett Rogers's name has become "virtually synonymous with the study of diffusion of innovations," according to Choice. The second and third editions of Diffusion of Innovations became the standard textbook and reference on diffusion studies. Now, in the fourth edition, Rogers presents the culmination of more than thirty years of research that will set a new standard for analysis and inquiry.

The fourth edition is (1) a revision of the theoretical framework and the research evidence supporting this model of diffusion, and (2) a new intellectual venture, in that new concepts and new theoretical viewpoints are introduced. This edition differs from its predecessors in that it takes a much more critical stance in its review and synthesis of 5,000 diffusion publications. During the past thirty years or so, diffusion research has grown to be widely recognized, applied and admired, but it has also been subjected to both constructive and destructive criticism. This criticism is due in large part to the stereotyped and limited ways in which many diffusion scholars have defined the scope and method of their field of study. Rogers analyzes the limitations of previous diffusion studies, showing, for example, that the convergence model, by which participants create and share information to reach a mutual understanding, more accurately describes diffusion in most cases than the linear model.

Rogers provides an entirely new set of case examples, from the Balinese Water Temple to Nintendo videogames, that beautifully illustrate his expansive research, as well as a completely revised bibliography covering all relevant diffusion scholarship in the past decade. Most important, he discusses recent research and current topics, including social marketing, forecasting the rate of adoption, technology transfer, and more. This all-inclusive work will be essential reading for scholars and students in the fields of communications, marketing, geography, economic development, political science, sociology, and other related fields for generations to come. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Packed With Knowledge!
Why would a villager draw polluted drinking water from a canal where a dead donkey floats instead of using a nearby tap to get clean drinking water? Why did it take hundreds of years for the British Navy to give sailors oranges and lemons when tests had proven that citrus fruit cured the scurvy that killed sailors and left vessels under-manned? Why do eminently sensible things not happen? If you've ever wondered, this book will give you the answers. It's a thick, heavy, academic tome, but spiced with abundant anecdotes and observations that make it an easy, enjoyable read. This is the rare book that combines solid intellectual content with thought-provoking entertainment. We highly recommend this classic from 1962 to all audiences, but especially those whose business it is to understand and use the social mechanisms through which innovations must diffuse.

great book for researchers
this is one of a kind book that researchers in sociology, psychology and business can use. great to be used in determining the audience impact, use of certain media, tools, ideas, etc. the model used is exactly an innovation that researchers can't resist in using. a new paradigm shift in research methodology. the book is full of illustrative stories to use in related literature of a study. E. Rogers is an excellent scholar. i give him a five star award for his innovation. From: Prof. Rudy P. Divino, DBA(cand)

Masterful Treatment
Well organized and full of relevant real-world case illustrations, this book is exceptionally well-done. Both educational and thoroughly entertaining. As complete as a textbook on the subject yet highly readable.

bleeahh.
Tedious psycho-babble, and a waste of time and money.

Narrowly Focused, But Very Solid
Professor Rogers begins his book by really getting to the heart of the matter. "Getting a new idea adopted, even when it has obvious advantages, is often very difficult," he writes. "Many innovations require a lengthy period, often many years, from the time they become available to the time they are widely adopted"

I have often wondered why getting new ideas adopted is so difficult, not only in business and technology, which is Professor Roger's primary area of research, but also in the arts, music, painting, and literature. It seems that whenever someone has a really innovative concept, it gets attacked, trashed, savaged, and often sabotaged by the mainstream? Why?

Professor Rogers never really answers this question, and this is my only complaint about an otherwise exceptional book. His primary interest is in figuring out ways to "speed up the rate of the diffusion of an innovation." Within a narrow context of business and policy objectives, he is successful. The strengths of this book are its very competent and exhaustive research, which include case studies, criticisms, and policy discussions. It is a worthy book if you are interested in the focused academic topics it attempts to address.

I thought that Malcolm Gladwell did a better job, with a much simpler book, in explaining why and how new ideas get introduced. Still, many questions remain to be answered about innovations. I'd love to read an equivalent book about innovations in the arts. If we are lucky, someone as competent and as thorough as Professor Rogers will take up the topic. ... Read more

Book Description

Sales and Operations is a powerful business process that integrates Sales & Marketing, Operations, Product Development, and Finance.Tom Wallace describes how it works and lays out a detailed plan for making it happen.This valuable handbook covers all aspects of a successful implementation, from the composition of the Executive S&OP team to the nitty-gritty of S&OP spreadsheet design. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

S&OP for Dummies
Should be called "Sales & Operations Planning for Dummies". This book has all the basics to get you started.

Excellent book.
An excellent practical guide for setting up a Sales & Operations Planning process. ... Read more

Book Description

You don't have to have the biggest name or the most dazzling graphics to lure customers to your Web site. These days, all you really need is prominent search-engine placement. This book shows you how to get it! With searching one of the most popular Internet activities, a top spot on a major search engine virtually ensures a high volume of visitors--though converting them to buyers is another story. In these pages, top Internet marketer and strategist Catherine Seda tackles both parts of that equation. First, she outlines the strategy involved in buying the specific keyword positions that will lead users directly to the page you want. Then, she describes how you can turn poor-performing ad copy into targeted sales-getters, and how you can evaluate and correct low visitor-to-buyer conversions. Beginning marketers will find the info they need to implement a Web strategy quickly, while advanced marketers will find all kinds of tips for analyzing and improving current results.

Reviews (8)

Catherine Covers It All!
This book does it. Whether it is me needing a refresher or if I am trying to make marketing partners "get it", Catherine covers it all. I can hand this book to a marketing director or VP and they can read it and understand what I have preached for some time. Catherine's incredible knowledge of the industry not only brings it home, it brings it to their level of understanding.

Beyond Expectation
Catherine explains beyond my expectation when reading upon her book on the search advertising.
And what I do not hope, it explains in a-step-by-step tutorials. Yes I give her my thumb for her book.

During my giving training and consultation to my clients in the world of SE, sometimes I refer it as well.

Not only that, I also grow my business in Jakarta, and on national basis in Indonesia, using "search campaign" and sponsorship program to attract my clients either in this industry or other industry I have such as www.presentationsupport.com.

Yes search engines create other way and yet cost effective promotion with quick ROI.

Magnificent companion to "Search Engine Visibility"
Catherine Seda's excellent book "Search Engine Advertising" is the perfect complement to Shari Thurow's "Search Engine Visibility" from which includes an excerpt toward the end. Where Thurow's book, the best one in terms of accomplishing high rankins in 'organic' (read unpaid) search results, Seda's book brings along the whole other side of the equation: that of paid options to accomplish high rankings. In doing so, one of her key points is that Search Engine Advertising doesn't end when the customer arrives at your site (visits), but it really is about conversions (getting the customer to make a purchase, subscribe or whatever your web site's purpose is when s/he arrives to it).

The book is very well structured around six parts:
i) Planning: the key (yet sometimes overlooked) part of the process, to ensure you know who you are targetting and how, before jumping into the paid options.
ii) Paid Placement Programs: she presents the differences (pros and cons) of the most important fixed placement and pay-for-placement programs available.
iii) Paid Inclusion Programs: directories are presented here in all their splendor, along with what you can do to enhance your possibilities before submitting your site, and how to manage a large number of simultaneous submissions. Web site optimization is touched upon briefly at this point, but in no way substituting Thurow's book on the topic: you simply have to have both, if you're serious about Online Marketing at all.

iv) Specialized Search Engines: comparison shopping engines, vertical market search engines and international search engines are discussed in some detail, to get you started with them.
v) Tracking ROI: normally just as overlooked as the planning stage, the tracking of the results of paid advertising campaigns are discussed in extensive detail to ensure that you are able to steer the boat in the right direction if your ROI data shows that you're putting money on the wrong key terms, your copy is not doing what it should to engage customers, or your landing pages are not taking customers where you want them to go once they get to your site.
vi) Protecting profits: topics such as click fraud, trademark infringement and affilate networks are discussed, as things to keep an eye on.

All in all, this is not a book you'd want to sit down and read in one afternoon (nor would you be able to). This is a hands-on book to work through and use as a reference as you're getting your feet wet with this whole other animal that is paid advertising on the Web. It has done a ton for me in the two months I've been applying the concepts contained in it, since it summarizes very well all the options available to you, their pros/cons and how to best take advantage of them, considering your size and budget. I highly recommend it without reserves for eMarketers that have not had too much exposure to paid options, as well as those who have some experience in the area, since it provides a wealth of tips and insights that most people in the field can benefit from.

Disclosure: I received a copy for review from the publisher.

Best Intro To SE Advertising
If you want more traffic read this book. I read it over once, started up some SEA campaigns, and now will re-read it again carefully to see how I can get the most out of those campaigns.

I am a full time SEO, an employee with a multi-national company. I teach SEO at the local college and am the author of a small SEO workbook (seoworkbook.com). I also sell books, eBooks and my own music CD's via the internet, do consulting for small businesses like Bed & Breakfasts and am a broadcaster on an Internet radio station. As you can imagine I spend a lot of time in the search engine world. Until now I have focused on organic search which simply means creating web pages and sites the way search engines are going to find most attractive i.e. keyword rich content, SE friendly design, and optimized tags for engines that use them. Shari Thurow's book, "Search Engine Visibility", also published by New Riders, is the best resource regarding this approach that I have seen.

I read Catherine's book first of all because she has credentials, she has worked in a variety of positions in the SE advertising industry. Then flipping through the table of contents I knew from my own experience that she was covering the basics (and I a big believer in basics) and that she knew who the important players were. I liked what I read because she wrote in an easily understandable, conversational style which I appreciated and enjoyed.

She covered everything thoroughly, beginning with background chapters when necessary. There were a few times when the detail level got a little deep for me but that is because I, like Catherine, am essentially a marketing guy, I appreciate strategy, tactics and logistics but feel more comfortable in the strategy end of the pool.

Like Shari's book, this is definitely another winner from New Riders. I see that New Riders is a division of Peach Pit Press who do the Visual Quick Start books. I have long told my students that the VQS books are the best computer books for beginners on the market - bar none. The quality of all these books is no surprise as I see Pearson Education is the corporation behind them all. I work for an eLearning company so I am familiar with Pearson; they are one of the worlds largest and most respected publishers of text books.

Catherine helps make the industry jargon like "trusted feed", "fixed placement", etc. understandable, and explains how to monitor and track your campaigns and how to manage your conversion rate and return on investment. Her sections regarding landing pages, page design, and site architecture are easy to understand and immediately useful. Very importantly to us entrepreneurs, she also discusses how to deal with potential "click-fraud" and other business issues.

For a person who is venturing forth into the SE advertising world for the first time I can highly recommend this book. I would suggest that you read and do everything in Shari's book first however. Then do the same with Catherine's. Here is a key point: Even if you are ranking well with organic search the advertising option gives you the added benefit of your site being passed on to many other search engines of all kinds because of the business relationships large advertising companies like Overture and Google have with partners and affiliates.

I would say Shari's book represents step one of your search engine marketing plan, and Catherine's represents step two. Hopefully New Riders will soon come out with some form of step three - "How To Convert Visitors To Buyers". As I mentioned above, I currently teach SEO at the local college: because of Catherine's book, and the impressive results I have immediately achieved using her methods, I intend on adding another course on SE advertising later this year. There will also be a proposal on my bosses desk next week recommending SEA campaigns for all our primary products. For large or small companies, even my little B&B clients, advertising on the web is clearly an effective and affordable option. For serious entrepreneurs, the web has matured as a sales and marketing channel to the point where it is a required one.

Good Overview of Search Engine Marketing
Full Disclosure: One the editors sent me this book for review.

Although never flirting with greatness, the content soared above average. The editing style, however, clipped my rising expectations. Like a chicken scratching in the dirt, new ideas would be tossed into the middle of an existing chain of thought. Occasionally ideas would end as fledglings, never fully explored or even transitioned.

That said, I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a solid introduction to marketing a webiste or product on the internet. I learned how keyword analysis works, how to create a marketing campaign, how to monitor a campaign, and how to get more money from a campaign.

Although no topic was covered in depth, the resource section at the end of the book points the reader to industry recognized sources. The book even includes advertising credit with Overture and FindWhat, a great way to get your feet wet.

If you do not mind some leaps, and a little silliness, this book may be a four on your list. The choppy style was too much for me. ... Read more

Book Description

The direction of Marketing Research, 2e heads towards a more application-oriented approach, wonderfully enhanced by the creation of a custom website that will enable students to complete their marketing research project with our online support. In addition to this distinction, the focus of the new edition takes an application-oriented approach, providing students with the tools and skills necessary to solve business problems and exploit business opportunities. This book is also unique from any other in the market in three significant ways. First, it provides a greater balance between primary and secondary information and the techniques and methods that underpin these two important types of data. Second, it offers in-depth coverage of the critical research tools and skills that will be required of today and tomorrow’s marketing researchers and business decision-makers. Third, with its in-depth coverage of secondary research, the practice of customer-based management is highlighted as this book helps students see what real companies are doing for their marketing research. This book provides students a realistic and current view of the practice and importance of marketing research in the business world. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great way to learn Marketing Research
I used this book along with a Marketing Research class at Drake University. The text clearly explained the principles of marketing research and provided real-life examples. I highly recommend this book to anyone involved with Marketing. ... Read more

Book Description

The One to One Future revolutionized marketing when it was first published. Then considered a radical rethinking of marketing basics, this bestselling book has become today's bible for marketers. Now finally available in paperback, this completely revised and updated edition--with an all-new User's Guide--takes readers step-by-step through the latest strategies needed for any business to compete, and succeed, in the Interactive Age.

Most businesses follow time-honored mass-marketing rules of pitching their products to the greatest number of people. However, selling more goods to fewer people is not only more efficient but far more profitable. The One to One Future is a radically innovative business paradigm focusing on the share of customer--one customer at a time--rather than just the share of market.

Authors Don Peppers and Martha Rogers reveal one to one strategies to:

* Find the 20 percent--or 2 percent--of your own customers and prospects who are the most loyal and who offer the biggest opportunities for future profit;

* Collaborate with each customer, one at a time, just as you now work with individual suppliers or marketing partners;

* Nurture your relationships with each customer by relying on new one to one media vehicles--not just the mail, but the fax machine, the touch-tone phone, voice mail, cell phones, and interactive television.

Leading-edge companies such as MCI, Lexus, Levi Strauss, and Nissan Canada, and thousands of smaller enterprises, have already adopted the one-to-one perspective. The strategies outlined in this book work just as well--often even better--for small companies, from two-person accounting firms to flower shops to furniture stores. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

Marketing Strategies for the Future
Clear and well-written exploration of market share approach to marketing versus the one-to-one approach to marketing. Explained well, and backed up with solid and very applicable examples.

It's important to remember that this book prepared the way for current Internet-based/personalized approaches to marketing. To a current marketeer, it may feel a bit dated (many of the examples are dependent on using snail mail and fax machines) but it given how many large IT projects are centered around database marketing, it's worthwhile reading for a lot of professionals and technical workers who may be missing part of the point of the systems they're developing.

Plan for the new marketing future with this book
This book helps bury mass marketing and even writes the tombstone "killed by relationship marketing." Chapter by chapter, this book spells out how to market to your customers instead of marketing your product. For instance, it shows you how to aim for customer share instead of market share. It is through examples that the authors show you how to win at 1:1 marketing. If you're in a competitive market or want to improve your marketing focus, read from it. Learn from it. And execute strategies from it. Neither you, your company, nor your customers will be dissapointed.

What is a "Relationship?"
Peppers and Rogers wrote a pioneering work on reaching customers, that taught marketers to look beyond "segments" to the individual people who actually bought their products or services. But they make an essential mistake in confusing the customer's familiarity with a particular business with having a relationship. Relationships exist between people who know one another, and a business relationship is one in which the customer deals with the same provider for each transaction. An example is a personal trainer you go to each time you work out, or a using the same accountant (not just the same accounting firm) for many years at tax time, or going to the same hairstylist, even following her when she moves to a new salon. These are real relationships, but phoning a catalog company and talking to a different person each time, even if that person can check your past orders and already has the billing information, is NOT a relationship.

Using technology to make a transaction more efficient can be a service to customers. People do not always seek a relationship with their provider; sometimes they want anonymity, and the idea that the provider organization "knows" all about them can be scary. Only by distinguishing between real relationships and the kind of "pseudo-relationship" that Peppers and Rogers advocate can you sort out these issues.

To learn more about the concept of "relationship" versus the more common service encounter (between customer and provider who do not know each other and do not expect to interact again), read The Brave New Service Strategy by Dr. Barbara A. Gutek and Theresa Welsh. They postulate a service model that consists of a triangle of Customer, Organization and Provider (COP).

In Search of Excellence for the Information Age
This is revolutionary stuff. Neither you or your business customers have the luxury of sticking your head in the sand on this. When you pull it out, you'll be all alone...and out of business.

An excellent book for beginners and professionals
Having spent many years in sales and marketing, and now as an author (Windows 98 and MCSE Study Tips for Dummies) and trainer/documentation specialist, I can tell you that no one has a better handle on the customer relationship building subject than Don Peppers and Martha Rogers. Following this book through several reprints and revisions, it continues to get better and better. The subject matter is complex, yet they have encapsulated it in a way that makes it easy for anyone to read and comprehend. Kudos for an excellent job! ... Read more

Book Description

Get the scoop on recession-proof online strategies

Packed with e-commerce survival stories, best practices, and resources

Get the information you need to thrive online — even in todays economy!

Today is a great time to launch an online business – the competition is less, the technology is better, and Internet use is at an all-time high. This thoroughly updated guide shows you how to dive right in. From fine-tuning plans and setting up a high-traffic site to marketing, customer service, and security, its just what you need to succeed!

The Dummies Way

• Explanations in plain English
• "Get in, get out" information
• Icons and other navigational aids
• Tear-out cheat sheet
• Top ten lists
• A dash of humor and fun

Reviews (14)

unimpressive
i realize the book says for dummies in the title BUT first off some of the things the book states about dreamweaver are not true and are not possible - i didnt open the cd because from reading the book you knew most of the cd was demos which you would have to take off of your computer in a month anyway - the only information i got from this book was basic business start up legal information - it kept referring to information i am looking for but it states it is not covered in this book but the small business internet for dummies - after reading this book cover to cover though i am very hesitant to purchase another book by this author - the information i need is probably just referenced to and really in a third book anyway - overall i was very unimpressed by this book

only buy this book if you are BRAND NEW to the internet - like you just got online for the first time last week and think maybe making money online might be for you THIS BOOK IS FOR BEGINNING BEGINNERS ONLY

Starting An Online Business For Dummies
This book is truly incredible. I cannot even absorb all of the information in it! This is a MUST HAVE for ANYONE even thinking about starting an on line business. This is such an easy read and you can go on line and check out all the different web sites he has listed in the book. There is more information in this book than I ever thought possible. It is EXTREMELY helpful and written very well. It is the kind of book that you keep on your desk to constantly look up things. This is the best investment I have made in a long time. = )

a reader
this is a very good book for beginer and other as well. step by step, easy to follow, important notices, great advices and more.

O.K. for Beginners
Like most of the Dummies books, this book is designed for the complete beginners, i.e. people who have absolutely no business and Web experience.

The book gives such advices as hiring a technical consultant, writing a business plan, manage your finance, etc. Wow :-()

It's better to buy several books that focus on different areas of the business. Get one for business plan, one for web marketing, one for negotiation, one for legal guide, one for accounting, etc. There are many good software programs out there that do all these now too. All of them would be better than a dummies book like this one.

The best I could've asked for!
I am so happy that I chose this book out of all of the others available. It is so easy to understand & packed with information that all of us starting an online business needs. I am one to fold page corners of pages that have info that is very important to me. You should see how many there are!! It is an excellent resource of info & I am very grateful to have found it. ... Read more

Book Description

This book takes a strategic approach to value/profitability in marketing management and helps readers work through financial analysis. The Third Edition includes increased coverage of important topics such as e-Marketing, supply chain management, customer relationship management, and branding.It focuses on the fundamental need for businesses to attract, satisfy, and retain customers. Coverage that goes beyond marketing fundamentals features a three-fold integration of market-driven strategy, customer satisfaction, and profitable growth.For marketing departments and business owners seeking the tools and techniques for delivering higher levels of customer satisfaction, marketing productivity and profitability. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

A real treasure, an intro marketing book with substance
I really like this book. There are around 10 intro marketing textbooks, and they're almost all either (co-)authored by Kotler, or shameless rip-offs of his books.

Hats of to Roger Best for coming up with a book that's truly different. The approach is refreshingly down-to-earth, almost nerdy, including a lot of frameworks for financial or qualitative analysis that would be useful to any marketing manager in his or her daily life. Although it can be used as an introductory marketing textbook, you'll find a lot of material here that you don't find in Kotler and Kotler-clones, so I also recommend it to people who've had an intro marketing course, and who want to move beyond the basics. Likewise, this would be a great book for practicing marketing managers who've been out in the field a couple of years, and want to brush up on the basics, without wading through the usual definitions and useless frameworks in other intro textbooks.

The entire book is in black and white, lacking the usual fancy graphics, and it is only about half the length of other textbooks. I actually find that refreshing, and it is an extension the substance-over-hype approach behind this book. ... Read more

Book Description

This pioneering textbook lays the foundation for using the most exciting marketing medium in decades.It shows what makes the Internet new and different, what techniques work and which dont, and how the Internet is creating value for customers and profits for companies.Most importantly, it shows how Internet Marketing fits into the rest of an organizations marketing strategy. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Bringing Order to the Chaos of the Internet
Hanson's textbook strikes just the right balance between technology and overall, general knowledge of the Internet. The background chapters in Part 1 on the Digital World, Networks and Internet Business Models are informative but not overwhelmingly technical. The chapters in Part 2 (Online Marketing Themes) are really interesting, in that they point out the many differences between marketing in the real world versus marketing in the virtual world. Topics such as Personalization, Traffic and Brand Building, Online Community, and E-Commerce are really the "meat" of this book and are informative as well as easy to read with plenty of current examples.

The challenges of developing and documenting the "principles" behind the amorphous, nebulous, fast-changing Internet are significant, but Dr. Hanson has certainly succeeded in producing a viable, useful resource. I'm sure he's busily working on an update, and I will look forward to reading anything he has to say about marketing in Internet time.

A very practical book - I love it !
This is a great book on internet marketing. Unlike many other books on similar subjects I have read , I found this book most practical - and closest to the need in the real business world ! Lots of very interesting case studies in it, and most important of all, the book contains a lot of very useful and updated researches and statistics that confirms a lot of beliefs ( and clear lots of doubts) I have had in my job. Don't be put-off by the title of the book " Principles of Internet marketing" - they are not pure academic / classroom-type "principles", they are very applicable to the real business world ! If you are working in the internet marketing area, or if you plan to enter this field, don't miss this book !!!

A second edition is urgently needed
I used the first edition in one of my e-commerce courses. While the book migth still deserve 3 stars it is very much dated and my students had to do much additional research in the net to round most of the topics.

Wonderful
This book really helped me understand some of the more difficult subjects of internet marketing.

A starting point
As a text, this is about the only game in town. And it certainly shows a lot of work in assembling sources and so forth. Especially if you are coming at this filed from scratch, this book is a decent place to start. But you may find yourself longing for deeper insight--less mere summarization of other sources and more maturation. And the support materials seem to be rather thin. But remember, Ward got his book written, and that, in itself, says a lot. ... Read more

Book Description

Churchill, Ford, and Walker’s Sales Force Management, 7/e, now authored by Johnston and Marshall, is a research/ theory based text that cites the theoretical foundations of sales management and blends this with current industry examples and applications.This book will appeal to a variety of teaching approaches-to those instructors who primarily emphasize the lecture-discussion approach or to those who prefer case-oriented instruction. No matter what approach is used, the research/theory combination, coupled with the solid sales management foundation, and the addition of the text themes of Innovation, Leadership, and Technology combine to make this text a leader in the sales management market.t. ... Read more

Reviews (12)

Packed with Knowledge!
Every professional service provider or consultant should own this handy marketing guide. Concise and smoothly written, it delivers essential information without beating around the bush or leaving out anything important. Once it is on your shelf, don't let it gather dust. From strategic advice on which marketing method may work for you to concrete help on presentations, fee-setting and client relationships, this is packed with utility. Many professionals neglect marketing because the time spent at it isn't directly "billable." Of course, that's like a farmer neglecting planting, because it isn't harvesting. The book is thorough, if not particularly innovative, and it does get a bit rah-rah at times, but those are minor quibbles. We recommend this practical, complete and essential set of instructions on how to generate clients for your professional service practice.

A system to assure a continuing flow of new clients.
Providers of professional services share a common problem -- that of maintaining a continuing flow of new business opportunities. Our "sales" problem is much different from that of those who provide tangible products. In fact, to some of us, the very concept of "selling" is offensive; yet, new business must come from somewhere.

As a provider of strategic marketing services for high-technology companies, I have spent the last 15 years helping my clients better understand their markets and customers' needs and develop effective marketing operations. I have also given much thought about how the concepts I recommend to my clients could be applied to my own business; some are applicipable, but unfortunately, most are not.

Over the years, I've looked for ideas about new business generation for professional Rainmakers -- The Manager's Guide to Training Professionals to Attract New Clients by Ford Harding.

The book starts with a realistic discussion of the problem we face, then continues to outline an approach to the solution. It does not suggest any particular process, but chronicles what has actually worked for others; it is based on interviews with over 100 highly successful rainmakers. Harding tells how to think about the problem and how to develop a process that will work for you and your firm. He acknowledges that many successful rainmakers have an intuitive gift, but points out that those of us who do not have it, can learn from those who do.

I recommend the book to you. Those who are already proficient rainmakers will find ways to polish their technique; those who are struggling rainmakers will find a systematic approach to developing a system that will work for them.

CREATING RAINMAKERS By Ford Harding -- Summary of Main Points

Most professionals are good at reactive sales, i.e., obtaining an assignment when a client comes to them with a problem. Rainmakers, on the other hand, identify prospects for new business and they turn those contacts into revenue-producing assignments.

Successful rainmakers have a system to assure a continuing flow of new contacts which eventually results in new business. There are as many differences as similarities in the specifics of their systems, but all have an "engine" to keep the process working. The most successful systems fit the unique requirements of the rainmaker's market and the characteristics and personalities of the firm. Building a rainmaking system is like investing at compound interest -- success takes time, but eventually it builds on itself.

There are four key parts to successful rainmaking systems. Targeting & positioning -- you must know your market and the value you offer. Lead generation -- using thought leadership, relationship networks and value selling. Face-to-face meetings -- all lead generation efforts must lead to this. Performing -- delivering quality service is most important.

Professional service firms face one or haystack" problem -- finding a client with a problem you can solve. The "many points of light" problem -- many others also provide the service you offer. The "one dog client" problem -- client already has a provider of service you offer. Some rainmaking techniques fit one problem better than others.

Harding describes three types of selling, professional services. Product selling -- works if you can define a "standard service." Need-based selling -- prior contact or a referral is necessary. Value-based selling -- often works when need-based selling won't.

Successful rainmakers spend more time generating leads than selling. Most rainmakers initiate calls; business seldom "falls in their lap." They find a way to integrate lead generation with their other activities.

Above all, Harding's survey shows, rainmakers are optimistic

I have done the first couple of parts of a dozen part system
I am the author of the book Futures For Small Speculators and Single Stock Futures For Small Speculators as well as the president of Liverpoolgroup.com.

Our focus is in the futures, commodities, and option business. We trade oil, cattle, gold, currency etc. By being a published author I thought it was enough. Mr. Harding forces you to push the envelope and did a little deeper in order to leverage each one of your talents or skills to move to the next level in client acquisition and more importantly retention. He constantly makes the distinction between "good service" and doing a "good job". They are not synonymous and play an important role in helping you when it comes to rain making.

This book showed me MANY examples of how to guide and direct new business to the company. I was astonished that I was doing somethings right, but the things that I was doing right were being negated by the actions I was doing wrong. This is a great book and was a joy to read. One reading is not enough. This book must be read three to four times with a highlighter and a notepad- so you can write down the numerous ideas that will occur to you as you read the book. Keep handy as a reference. The only thing I wish is that the book had used a slightly larger type face. It is problematic when you want to take notes.

Rain Making: A Review
Rain Making: A Review

I am an applied psychologist and have been plying my trade for the last 26 years, during 23 of which I have been independently employed. The countries in which my clients are located include Europe, Israel and the United States.

After having read the book Rain Making, by Ford Harding, I can whole-heartedly recommend it to professional consultants (for example, accountants, management consultants and the like) who market / promote / sell their services. While I do not know to what degree people who sell, but do not sell consulting services, can benefit from this book, I can safely say that Rain Making is an excellent book for those who do sell such services.

There are a number of reasons that I recommend Rain Making so highly. One is that the methods, techniques and tips that are presented are done so in a very clear and systematic manner. This makes them not only easy to understand but, not less important, easy to remember. Another reason I found the book so satisfying is that the ideas and recommendations it offers actually work! I have applied a good number of them and can safely say that they have increased both my drive and motivation (an essential ingredient for sales success!) on the one hand and my sales, on the other.

Why does Rain Making do such a good job? For one, in addition to presenting concrete and effective recommendations and suggestions, it also presents a sales weltanschauung or world view / ideology which, if adapted, can help make for long-term sales success because it places the client in center-stage, as the factor of prime importance.
In addition, the fact the author has obviously "been there" and actually sold consulting services, enables him to understand my world and the challenges and opportunities of which it is made. I found his identification with my reality to be a solid source of support

While I have read many books on marketing and selling (Harvey Mackay's books have been very helpful) this is the first time I have read a book that is tailored to my professional reality. Morris Kaner, Israel

The Perfect Book For Small Businesses
When I started my business, I wasn't sure how to begin marketing, and ordered this book. I believe it is the only book I will ever need. Of course, Part I: Marketing Tactics is the part I most heavily use as a resource for marketin ideas, but the advice in Part II (How To Advance and Close a Sale) and Part III (What Works and What Doesn't) have also been very useful. My favorite parts though, are found in the Appendices: Building Your Bio, How to Prepare Presentation Visuals, How To Write a Press Release, and What Makes a Good Brochure.

This book contains a multitude of useful information for recruiting, maintaining and expanding business relationships. I'm glad it was the first marketing book I ordered and read. ... Read more

Book Description

One of the key determinants of success for today’s high-technology companies is product strategy—and this guide continues to be the only book on product strategy written specifically for the 21st century high-tech industry. More than 250 examples from technological leaders including IBM, Compaq, and Apple—plus a new focus on growth strategies and on Internet businesses—define how high-tech companies can use product strategy and product platform strategy for competitiveness, profitability, and growth in the Internet age. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

targeted for core products at large companies
I love this book: the concept of a "vector" for product
development is a terrific way to think about competition.
IMHO, this book is a must-read for all product managers,
product marketers and people involved in strategic decisions,
i.e. all senior executives.

That said, speaking as a five-time startup engineer, the advice
and examples in this book seem geared towards the core product
lines in larger companies, where you can credibly talk about
"two years from now" as opposed to wondering if you'll even be
in business, which is also the problem for new product lines at
large companies. The experience for the book comes from the
PRTM consulting firm, which was made famous for their work with
parallel product development at Intel. We hired them in the
early days at Inktomi, and found mixed success with their
process because we were terrified of immediate failure, and
they wanted to talk about version 3. Obviously, there's a
successful middle ground because Inktomi was a huge success in
the short term, but ultimately lost its strategic direction.

watch out cost to implement in ur office before do it
For example, author addressed the benefits to have a product platform strategy are focusing managemnet on key decision at the right time;enabling products to be deployed rapidly and consistently; encouraging a longer-term view of product strategy; leveraging significant operational efficiencies; helping management anticipate replacing a major product platform.

However, he may forget to remind readers that these require cost before enjoying the benefits, such as you need to hire a new tier of middle management if you company is too small to afford before; to establish the new channel capabilities to justify the investment on the platform bcz to access new markets; the IT system to calculate operation efficiencies such as engineering head count, material cost, and supply chain cost is also not cheap if you only have the option to use turn-key solution.....

It may be reasonable to equip product platform strategy only when benefits are greater than costs.

Unmatched User Guide to High Tech Product Strategy
In his richly illustrated Product Strategy for High Technology Companies, Michael E. McGrath rightly describes product strategy as a management process. Like any process, product strategy defines structure, timing, responsibilities, and skills. The process architecture reproduced on page 359 provides a practical framework starting with the definition of core strategic vision. Core strategic vision requires answering three questions: 1. Where do we want to go? 2. How will we get there? 3. And most critical Why will we be successful? Core strategic vision determines the criteria used for reaching a strategic balance in the product development process: Focus vs. diversification, short-term vs. long-term, current product platform vs. new product platform, business Alpha vs. business Beta, research vs. development, and high risk vs. low risk. Available resources influence the outlook of strategic balance.

Core strategic vision, strategic balance, core competencies, and competitive strategy are together the foundations on which the often-ignored product platform strategy is built. Product platform strategy is the lowest common denominator of relevant technology in a set of products or a product line. Product failures in high-tech companies frequently can be traced to an incomplete product platform strategy according to McGrath. Strategic balance, product platform strategy, and competitive strategy are together the foundations of product line strategy. Product line strategy is where specific product offerings are defined.

Core strategic vision also influences the competitive strategy that high technology companies must define. McGrath provides an in-depth, practical review of differentiation strategy, pricing strategy, and supporting strategies. Supporting strategies are first-to-market and fast-follower strategies, cannibalization, and global product strategy. McGrath's examination of both time-based strategies and cannibalization is particularly interesting because both subjects are rarely covered in such a luxury of detail. McGrath finally examines the optional expansion strategy and innovation strategy. High technology companies only need them if they want to invest in expansion or innovation.

To summarize, Product Strategy for High Technology Companies is a practical guide to a management process from which even product managers from outside the high tech industry can draw useful lessons and more importantly apply them to their own product strategy.

Best Strategic Toolkit Ever Written
There are countless strategy books out there. Each one has an overriding framework that the entire book is based on, that often warrants only a 15-page article. This book is loaded with practical frameworks that together provide a thinking and creativity-channeling approach. Better yet, every framework has been proven in practice at dozens of companies by the author's implementation-based consulting firm. Each chapter is filled with examples from a broad range of technology-based companies. When applying these frameworks outside of technology-based industries and large companies just use common sense to strip them down to their essence and don't worry about the fancy techno-speak. You can also use most chapters as stand-alone strategy tools. I personally like "vectors of differentiation" and wonder how so many companies blow it when it seems like common sense. But then again if common sense were common, books like this wouldn't be needed. And then there's the issue of actually implementing what you come up with...

Don't Just Read It, Do it!
After founding a leading market research firm and teaching New Product Development at Harvard, I found this book so compelling that our firm has completed a review of our entire new web research product strategy, and come to some startling and highly productive insights on how to proceed and succeed. It is by far the most practical, in-depth guide to achieving competitive new product development strategies I have ever read.

The book shows clearly how to answer the critical questions: 1) Where do we want to go, 2) How will we get there, and 3) Why will we be successful. It shows how to create a Core Strategic Vision that is the foundation for new product success. And it shows how to use that vision to create highly competitive and profitable product lines, particularly in high technology.

Having tested new product ideas for hundreds of companies over the last 25 years, it is difficult to think of more than a handful who couldn't have benefited from not only reading this book, but doing what it recommends. ... Read more

Book Description

The First Systematic Strategy for Building Iconic Brands

Coca-Cola. Harley-Davidson. Nike. Budweiser. Valued by customers more for what they symbolize than for what they do, products like these are more than brands-they are cultural icons. How do managers create brands that resonate so powerfully with consumers?

Based on extensive historical analyses of some of America's most successful iconic brands, including ESPN, Mountain Dew, Volkswagen, Budweiser, and Harley-Davidson, this book presents the first systematic model to explain how brands become icons. Douglas B. Holt shows how iconic brands create "identity myths" that, through powerful symbolism, soothe collective anxieties resulting from acute social change.

Holt warns that icons can't be built through conventional branding strategies, which focus on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships. Instead, he calls for a deeper cultural perspective on traditional marketing themes like targeting, positioning, brand equity, and brand loyalty-and outlines a distinctive set of "cultural branding" principles that will radically alter how companies approach everything from marketing strategy, to market research, to hiring and training managers.

Until now, Holt shows, even the most successful iconic brands have emerged more by intuition and serendipity than by design. With How Brands Become Icons, managers can leverage the principles behind some of the most successful brands of the last half-century to build their own iconic brands.

... Read more

Book Description

Now in a completely revamped second edition, the authors of Customer Behavior have adapted the content, length, and end-of-chapter materials in the text, producing a new text that is tailored specifically to upper level 4-year programs, or to graduate level programs.Its managerial approach focuses not only on the household consumer but also on the business customer market.This text goes beyond the conventional subject matter of consumer behavior textbooks, focusing not only on the role of customers as buyers, but also on their roles as users and payers. ... Read more

Book Description

Rainmakers make the big bucks. For their companies and for themselves. Here’s how.

The rainmaker is the person who brings big clients, big money, and big deals into an organization. How do they make the rain fall? Waiting for luck won’t do, a very particular human being must get involved. Successful rainmakers are among the highest-paid employees in every company in every industry. They operate under many titles—owner, partner, sales representative, CEO, agent, managing director, and fund-raiser.

Author Jeffrey Fox is a rainmaker who knows how to talk about his gift. He pursues revenues and, in his sharp, witty style, takes you along for the ride. This hard-hitting
collection of sales and marketing stories is packed with fifty smart, no-nonsense tips that show you how to succeed with any customer.

Fox will explain the Rainmaker’s Credo, why customers don’t care about you, the six killer sales questions, why you should dare to be dumb, and why breakfast meetings bring rain. He’ll help you discover why you should never be “in a meeting,” why earthquakes don’t count, why you should sell on Friday afternoons, and other critical skills. If becoming a rainmaker is your goal—whatever your business—this program is for you.
... Read more

Reviews (41)

Making Clouds, not Rain
This short, easy read is a quick refresher course of the basic principals of selling. Mr. Fox breaks down the rainmaking, or sales execution, process into a number of sequential 'Killer Questions' designed to turn your sales target into a frienly decision maker.

As a former salesperson, I did find a number of the killer questions to be natural and direct, not pushy or canned. Mr. Fox also goes beyond simple client 'probing' and hammers at the importance of a hard days work, getting the appointment and pampering your clients once you have sold them.

I believe one should buy How to Become a Rainmaker. It is a quick read that offers enough unique material to help even the most seasoned salesperson. Will you become a rainmaker if you read this book? Nope...like every other rule in business, the rain will fall if you APPLY Mr. Fox's ideas.

Read once -- and then refer to it frequently
I was disappointed at first when I received this book. It was too small and slim to be useful, I thought. Wrong! It's full of good ideas and timely reminders for anyone who makes their living from causing and fulfilling other people's buying decisions.

As a consultant (rather than a product salesperson), some of the product-oriented advice wasn't applicable to my practice. The advice to "dollarize" customers' benefits are easier with "hard products" than they are with "soft services," but Fox does not address this challenge.

Those issues aside, I like the short but intense style, with each of the chapters taking little more than 2-3 pages (500-750 words). I remember watching a friend of mine, an antiques dealer, work with a customer. I thought, "He forgot to ask killer sales question number...," letting the customer leave the store even after expressing specific interest in purchaing an item. The book's style allows one to easily remember snippets like the six "killer sales questions" (each with its own chapter).

This is not a huckster's book, either. There's a heavy message of respect for the customer, fair dealing, not wasting time (yours OR your customer's), and attentiveness to the customer's wishes. Rainmakers thrive on relationships, not "quick kill" sales.

Fox also discusses this when addressing prospecting. He recommends prospecting a reasonably small number of targeted customers and investing time and effort in each one. PLan repeat contacts progressing toward a sale. Don't scatter your time and talents all over the board, mistaking effort for accomplishment.

"Rainmaker" is a valuable addition to my consulting library, and its compact size will make it easy to carry along with me for inspiration and recollection.

Simple minded and trite
I am sure that this book is handed out at many a company meeting. Too bad it does not have any substance to it. This book is merely a collection of stale and cliche ridden sales tips (though they have been changed enough to prevent any copyright lawsuits!). If you are looking for real sales tips, dont' buy this book. Rather, go to Google and search for sales tips. If you are a manager looking for a way to make your boss think you are motivating the troops, order this book. It might help your next review. This book is basically this year's "Who Moved my Cheese" or the fish throwing book.

just what I needed
I'm new to sales, so this book was great for me. I got a lot of help from it. I needed to sell my car among few other things, so i decided to go for this book because it didn't look like some sales bible filled with tons of information. I needed some fast information I could use right away, and this is exactly what I got from this book.

I'm guessing that to the seasoned, experienced seller this book would be waste of money and time, but for beginner who needs some fast, to the point information, it will be very helpful.

this is what you find in this book,
** customers don't care about you, but about themselves and their problems.
** Always plan your sales call, like a sports team plans their strategy. (He tells you how)
** Help them see money. Don't sell the product, sell dollorized value. People would select the product that yield lowest total cost. (I can't explain this, it'll take too much space, read the book, but this is one of the gems from the book.)
** He tells you few "killer" sales questions and explains them, very helpful.
** Don't make cold calls, don't go for "break the ice" introduction (he explains why)

get you into trouble water
Grabbed the old stuffs and merged them into a book. It was just a salad dish, not a melting pot. The segregation fully reflected Mr. Fox's inadequacies in sales. Anyway, broken pieces were broken pieces. Good needle-works could hardly conceal.

Using the words "Killer sales question" also disclosed Mr. Fox's real attitude towards customers. A sincere salesperson will not kill her/his customers with any probing question. Sales pro does mind the wordings and will choose them carefully.

Just another bogus guru. ... Read more

Book Description

Hawkins offers balanced coverage of consumer behavior including psychological, social, and managerial implications.The new edition offers exciting and extremely current examples.This author team is best known for their ability to tie the topics back to marketing decision making and strategic planning. ... Read more

Book Description

In an economy where efficiency and delivery are key, Software Product Management Essentials is required reading for any software product manager. Software Product Management Essentials is a hands-on guide to help new product managers sift through the numerous tasks and responsibilities involved in this pinnacle job. The book is loaded with tips and example best practices to help even experienced product managers optimize their time and effectiveness. The book focuses on the unique challenges of being a Product Manager in a small to mid-sized software company. It provides a framework for the role of the Product Manager in an environment where there are few resources available to help in tackling the many things needed for a quality, on-time delivery of software. Whether you are already a Product Manager or considering a new career in product management, Software Product Management Essentials details a day-in-the-life experience of a PM with both the glory and challenges one faces in this role. Engineers, marketing personnel, quality assurance teams, technical writers, and anyone involved in the product delivery process will find this book extremely useful right away in optimizing the day-to-day interactions across a smaller software organization.

Emphasizing that code is only part of the overall software product, Software Product Management Essentials stresses the importance of championing a product. Critical topics covered in the book include the product delivery process, beta testing, launching a software product, and software pricing. An entire chapter is dedicated to the issues of expanding the business internationally and the issues a Product Manager must consider before and during expansion. Numerous templates are provided to fast track the Product Manager's work including a sample non-disclosure agreement, product delivery checklist, and beta test agreement and summary. ... Read more

Reviews (13)

Excellent resource
I recently read this book and unlike me normally, I felt it warranted my time to post a review and thank the author for making an otherwise uninspiring topic so easy and enjoyable of a read. I was recently promoted to product manager at my software company and had no idea where to start. Dver's book has given me excellent tips and templates to use and prepared me so I can hit the ground running. I almost wish I had read this book before when I was an engineer because it would have given me a better understanding of the overall process of product delivery and it would have helped me and my organization to better support the efforts of our product manager at the time.

I think that this book has been invaluable to me in my role and I will refer to it often. Most product management and marketing books I have seen are too high level where they discuss thoery but not practical ideas on what to do. Other books get too deep in areas that a product manager needs not be the expert but rather a participant. I appreciated the brevity of the overall book and found it also to be quite specific and descriptive where it needed to be. I think anyone who is a product manager can appreciate how valuable time is in trying to juggle the many aspects of a product - Dver understands this and it is reflected in the book and its writing.

Lastly, I also think that Dver captures well the fact that software is a very different product to manage and draws out these differences in each chapter's topic. I had read other product management and marketing books and they never seem to get that software is quite different and therefore needs to be managed differently. I also enjoyed having a reality check of smaller companies and what is done versus larger ones where they can afford to apply more resources and time towards marketing and sales. This book gave me a lot of excellent ideas on how to manage my product in a low-budget, resource-starved environment. That in itself is worth the price of the book.

You have to read this book!
Excellent book. As an experienced product manager at a small software company, I found this book very practical and a great resource. The author gives great advice and tips that I haven't had time to consider. The book is very easy to read and it is quite evident that the author is an expert in product management.

No fluff, just straight help for the SW PM
I really appreciated the terseness and honesty this book presented. It does not have any fluff and does not make any bones about its strong focus on small and mid-sized software companies, noting that bigger companies have different needs and many other books cover that space. I didn't expect this book to go deep into any one topic simply becuase it clearly is pitched as a comprehensive overview of the roles and responsibilities of SW PMs. However, I was pleasantly suprised when I found that despite its short and easy read, Dver did dig into the details of seve